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Tag: house centipedes

  • House Centipedes: The Ultimate Guide

    House Centipedes: The Ultimate Guide

    If you ever came across a creature that is very fast and many-legged running across your bathroom floor, then you have probably seen a house centipedes. These odd arthropods are the fauna that is typical of human habitats all over the United States, and therefore, their appearance may frighten you, but a lecture about them can make you decide whether you want to set them free or get rid of them.

    What Are House Centipedes?

    They are small, quick, and slender in shape, with slender legs. Legs and antennae taken separately can be up to four inches in length, when we take the length of the body parts. The adults are of a yellowish-grey colour, with three dark stripes on their bodies, and with 15 pairs of striped legs, so that in the general aspect they are perhaps rather more than halfway between the familiar and the alien. The centipedes are night creatures; hence, in the daytime they usually hide in damp and dark places, such as basements, bathrooms and closets. One night, they go out hunting.

    house-centipedes

    How Long Do House Centipedes Live?

    The life of these pest is one of the best facts about this pest. And were you to ask how long do house centipedes live, the reply would be that they live longer than one would think possible with such a small creature. House centipedes are known to live for seven years, but on average, they live about three years. The process of their growth can be compared to going from having just 4 pairs and gradually adding more legs with each stage until they reach the adult stage. This longer lifespan makes their presence in your house like a pest-free shield that can last for a time span of multiple years.

    Are House Centipedes Poisonous?

    Many People may ask this question, ‘Are house centipedes poisonous?’ The answer is not straightforward. They are venomous, but not poisonous. They have fangs with venom, which they use to eliminate the prey, that is, spiders, ants, cockroaches, and other pests from the house. The poison, however, is not sufficient to cause harm to humans or animals. A bite is an extremely rare occurrence because they are known to very shy and try to avoid humans. If the case of a bite happens (very unlikely), it will just be similar to a mosquito bite and may mildly irritated, reddened, or swollen. On the contrary, many pest experts even regard these pest as good because the latter is the former’s prey in a food chain.

    How to Get Rid of House Centipedes

    How-to-Get-Rid-of-House-Centipedes

    Sure, house centipedes are harmless, but you could get the idea that they are there just by the mere fact of their being. If you are after a solution to the problem of the existence of house centipedes, a variety of non-toxic methods may come to your aid:

    1. Reduce Moisture: One of the most interesting things about them is that they prefer moist places. Use dehumidifiers in basements and bathrooms to avoid the house centipedes.
    2. Seal Entry Points: Shut cracks and holes that are near windows, doors, and foundations so that house centipedes cannot get in.
    3. Eliminate Food Sources: Use pest repellents to avoid other pests. This may help you to remove these pest also. Pests can ridded of by traps, sprays, and diatomaceous earth.
    4. Vacuum Regularly: Use a vacuum cleaner with strong suction to suck them out of the cracks and corners. Put the vacuum bag or contents outside so that the pests won’t come back in.
    5. Clean Drains: Use vinegar and bleach solutions in the drains of bathrooms and kitchens to get rid of house centipedes, as they work best on them.
    6. Outdoor Maintenance: Outdoor Maintenance: In addition to removing dry leaves and decorative plants, it is also advisable to remove wet ones, such as grass and leaves, in the places surrounding your house, to make your home less attractive to pests.

    When house centipedes continue to appear in huge numbers in your home, then you may have a larger issue with pests and so you may need to seek the assistance of a professional pest control service.

    Conclusion

    In American houses, house centipedes are a familiar place, particularly in regions with high humidity. Keep in mind that kindly remember that when answering the question of how long do house centipedes live, they can be your silent friends to up to seven years, keeping other pests under control. You may ask yourself, Are house centipedes poisonous Be assured that their venom is not dangerous to people or other animals. In case they become a nuisance, easy measures such as decreasing moisture, caulking entry sites, and removing their food source can help you to eliminate them naturally and effectively.

    So you decide to live with these useful predators or would rather not have them in your home, and knowledge about house centipedes will help you to make the right choice regarding your family. To the homeowners who want to get professional assistance, there are numerous pest control companies that will provide you with safe and effective solutions to your particular problem.

  • House Centipede vs Silverfish: Know the Difference, Signs

    House Centipede vs Silverfish: Know the Difference, Signs

    If you have ever caught sight with your own eyes of a fast-creeping, ultra-legged animal moving across the bathroom floor of your house or a shining bug wiggling in your basement, then it is certain that either a house centipede or a silverfish has been encountered by you. Though both pests are typical of American households, it is very important to know the differences between the two for efficient control. In this article, we are going to learn everything about house centipede vs silverfish their appearance, behavior, the role of people, and the most effective ways of their elimination simultaneously.

    House-Centipede-vs-Silverfish

    House Centipede vs Silverfish

    The identifying features of the physical appearance of house centipede vs silverfish are, at first:

    Appearance & Size:

    1. The display style of house centipedes is with a body that has the form of a long tube and is flattened; the color of this animal normally comes in a yellowish-brown base with narrow, black lines seen most often in three places on its back. The reason why this particular kind is so extraordinary happens to be that it is equipped with 15 pairs of long, thin legs, which not only give it a hairy look but also give it the ability to move fast. Adults of this variant can grow to be one and a half inches in height.
    2. Meanwhile, the silver fish is even smaller when you compare it with the house centipede, it is about half an inch to one inch long. Its body is teardrop-shape in silvery-gray color, cover with fine scales, and has three long, thread-like appendages at the rear end, and also six short legs as it is also its other way of living.

    Color:

    1. House centipedes are yellowish-brown with dark stripes.
    2. Silver fish are pale to dark gray or silver, often shiny and without stripes.

    Habitat:

    In a similar way, dark and humid places are their favorite ones; both pests like to dwell in such places as a basement, bathroom, attic, and closet. Thus, high levels of humidity are the most critical factor for attractive living spaces for both house centipedes and silverfish.

    Diet:

    1. House centipedes operate through their behaviors to eat mainly insect species including cockroaches and spiders alongside silverfish. Other pests bound to be present when house centipedes dwell in the area.
    2. Silverfish operate as decomposers because they mainly feed on paper products together with cellulose materials and glues and textiles. The insects endanger more stored items including books wallpapers and clothing because of their destructive nature.
    Silverfish

    Signs That May Attract House Centipede vs SilverFish

    To be able to successfully prevent these pests from invading your house, you need to have a good understanding of what actually attracts them. The things that primarily cause house centipedes to become interested in your place are as follows:

    House Centipedes:

    • Other insects attract the drone flies because these insects provide them their nourishment.
    • The species prefer habitats with excessive humidity and moisture which includes leaky basements and crawlspaces and bathrooms.
    • Both clutter and walls or floors that show cracks offer insects the chance to hide.

    Silver Fish:

    • Drawn to starchy materials-books, cardboard, wallpaper, and even pantry goods.Prefer damp, dark spaces with high humidity, such as attics, laundry rooms, and under sinks.Accumulated paper, fabric, and food crumbs can encourage infestations.
    • Drawn to starchy materials-books, cardboard, wallpaper, and even pantry goods.
    • Prefer damp, dark spaces with high humidity, such as attics, laundry rooms, and under sinks.
    • Accumulated paper, fabric, and food crumbs can encourage infestations.

    The main difference here is that house centipedes attract toward the presence of other pests as well as moisture, while silverfish are mostly looking for sources of starchy food and the moisture they need.

    How to Get Rid of Centipedes and Silver Fish

    To get rid of centipedes and silver fish that the house shelter has become, you should apply the following directed method:

    For House Centipedes:

    1. Reduce Humidity: Do this by using a dehumidifier and repairing leaks to lower the humidity in the places like your basement and bathroom where the centipedes usually come from and live.
    2. Seal The Holes: The physical barriers in the form of wall, window and foundation to invading activities of the pest are also to closed down.
    3. Light-Weight Insects: Because the house centipedes primarily live on other insects, if you remove their potential prey, there is no reason for them to come to your place. bases that you suspect are their shelters, cleanup can only bring the result of a big reduction in the population of house centipedes.Selfmade Natural
    4. Sprays and Glue Traps: The traps need to be placed at the vulnerable areas, making sure that the effects of mobility will not be experienced, only sticking on the walls for instance. Moreover, natural sprays like tea tree, lavender, or peppermint are to used.
    5. Sticky Traps & Natural Repellents: Hot glue traps can stop indoor pests while natural repellents paired with essential oil scents like tea tree, lavender, and peppermint should used for pest prevention.
    House-centipedes

    For Silver Fish:

    1. Keep Clean and Well Organized: Clear out mess, such as piles of paper, cardboard, and old clothes. Seal food in airtight containers to prevent silverfish infestation.
    2. Avoid Moisture: The same strategies must used as in the case of house centipedes, namely, moisture elimination and leak fixing.
    3. Frequent Vacuuming: Keep this practice in your daily household routine. Being a source of both food and eggs, vacuuming can help to prevent and eliminate the house population in such a simple way because it only targets the adult and the young.
    4. Professional Help: When faced with major infestations of either pest, there’s no better way to handle the situation than to hire the services of a competent pest control company. They will be able to provide the necessary treatment and monitor the situation on a regular basis

    Conclusion

    In the question of house centipede vs silverfish, as much as both of them are unwelcome, they still come to your place for different reasons. Moreover, an interesting point is that although house centipedes may frighten you due to their fast motion and abnormally large number of legs, they actually are effective at maintaining the rest of the pest population in your home. Quite the contrary, silverfish may cause a lot of harm to your possessions when feeding on them as much as they can eat the starchy matter.

    If you want to keep the house free from both house centipedes and silverfish, then the way to go is to keep your home dry, seal the entry points, and keep your living space clean and uncluttered. If you find any of these pests, take action immediately to prevent a serious problem.

    By using an appropriate approach, you can safeguard your home and live stress-free even when the pest problem is found.